Mara's Story

      More Letters From Paradise
           Mara's Story

"There are not many White Russians left,most of them are dead." she said.
"The Revolution of 1917, was a long time ago." I replied.
"I was born in Shanghai." she continued.  "Many White Russians moved to China, they couldn't go back to Russia and be killed."

"So what did your parents do in Shanghai?" I asked. "They sold some silverware and a samovar, and started a business."
"What did they sell?" "I don't know, but we lived pretty well." "That was until the war between Chang Kai Chek's Nationalists and Mao Tse Tung." "And when the Red Army won,we lost everything." "There were two countries we could go to, Argentina and Brazil." "We chose to go to Brazil." "We were so poor."

"Did you learn to speak Portuguese?" "Yes, and I went to school.""How did you manage to come to America?" "We had an aunt living there and she sponsored us."

Do you have anything that you brought here   from Russia?" "Yes, I have a large white scarf  that was given to my father, who was a soldier." "And down on one corner there is the name of the czar Nicholas II." " It must be very valuable,you should frame it." "I think I will, and give it to my daughter.

         Aloha
 
         Grant





















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Herman Melville and Me

       More Letters From Paradise
        Herman Melville And Me

The world famous author of Moby Dick, Herman Melville, and I have quite a bit in common. For instance, both he and I worked in stores here in Honolulu. I do not know what was sold in the store where he worked in 1841, but I sold tee shirts at the Hawaii Yacht Club during the 2015 Trans-Pacific Yacht Race.

But the strongest bond between us is that he went whale hunting, and so did I. He first sailed on the whaleship, Acusnet, and later on other ships. Many times my wife and I sailed on the Star of Honolulu. Melville's ship was seeking Sperm whales for their oil.  We were seeking humpback whales for good photographs.

Five times last season, my wife and I went seeking whales, and failed to find any. But you do get a rain check for a future trip. Most of the whales seemed to have been around the island of Maui.

Both his ship and ours had food aboard. The whaleships during his day fed the thirty-five man crew, an endless  diet of salt beef or pork, tea, dried peas, potatoes (while they lasted), dried beans, flour, and molasses. Of course upon sailing away they enjoyed fresh chicken and pork from pens lashed to the deck.

I am very sure that he would have preferred the food we had aboard. Taro rolls, blueberry muffins, link sausages, scrambled eggs, rice, fresh fruit, and tea or coffee.

I should mention that the galley (kitchen) of a whaleship was about five by eight feet  and the cook fed some 35 men. The cook was the poorest paid, and so they often jumped ship. I don't know the size of the  galley of the Star of Honolulu, but I can relate. I  measured the kitchen in our condo and it is about the same size. I have only to cook for the two of us, except during holidays when the number is inflated to at least thirteen. And, I don't have to tend a stove that must remain level while the whole ship rocks and rolls.

In a related item I should tell you that the wreck of a whaleship Two Brothers, was found 600 miles north west of Honolulu on12 February 2011. The wood had all rotted away, but harpoons and the great cauldrons for boiling down the whale fat were found. This was the ship from Nantucket that was captained by George Pollard and was run aground. His earlier command was the Essex which was sunk by a whale. The tale of the Essex is one of survival and cannibalism. Pollard was considered unlucky, and never returned to sea. He served out his life as a night watchman.

Melville married the Essex tale of the ship being sunk by a whale into his novel, Moby Dick.

Humpback whales continue to come to Hawaii to breed and raise their calves, before returning to the cooler waters around Alaska. If you are ever in Hawaii during whaling season be sure to go and see the largest mammals in the  world.

        Aloha
        Grant

These Three

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          These Three

There are three often neglected, or lost in the shuffle of Christmas Stories. The first one to come to my mind is a short story "The Gift of the Maji" written by O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). The warm charming story tells about a couple who so loved each other and didn't have any money to exchange gifts. They each made a sacrifice  to make giving possible. This story is a good bet for Hallmark t.v. but they have probably already used it.

The second neglected work is "The Journey of the Wisemen," by T.S. Eliot.  The poem tells the difficulties they faced. An excellent    short poem.

The third neglected work is another long poem "A Child's Christmas in Wales," by the Welch poet Dylan Thomas. This is probably my favorite Christmas poem. New Directions published a slim booklet of the poem many years ago. I thought so much of the poem that I copied it for my students.

I am fortunate to have a recording of the poet reading it. The poem tells of the events taking place in this Welch town on Christmas. I remember reading that when the recording took place, the poet sat on the edge of the theater stage with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He probably had a few drinks too. Alcohol in the end killed him. Some images from the poem come to mind. He recalls the gifts he received, the aunt who was drunk and singing like a big bosomed thrush in the backyard. Two men smoking their pipes on a walk in the snow. Eternal snow since last Wednesday. People with their cheeks stuffed with goose pressed against the window pane. Small boys wanting to write in the snow,"Mr. Daniel looks like a spaniel." Oh there is so much. I cannot begin do this poem justice. If you are not familiar with the work, do yourself a treat and enjoy.

      Aloha

      Grant